Mathematics

Maths at Lakenheath CPS

The 2014 mathematics curriculum identifies that the learning of mathematical skills is fundamental to understanding the world around us:

"It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment."
2014 National Curriculum

At Lakenheath we aim to provide our children with high quality, engaging and enjoyable learning experiences with links to the real world to help foster an enjoyment and enthusiasm for mathematics. We are committed to promoting positive attitudes towards the subject amongst pupils and adults alike. An early and vital foundation built on basic number work and simple mathematical experiences is fundamental to a child’s achievement and success in this subject. It is very important that children experience maths in practical situations particularly in their early years. Children are continually assessed throughout their time in school and their progress is carefully monitored and recorded.

The school follows a mastery approach which aims to build a strong foundation for the acquisition of mathematics knowledge and skills in later years. Our curriculum emphasises conceptual understanding, skills proficiency, learning of process skills and focuses on mathematical problem solving. It is rooted in current research into best practice in mathematics teaching and is based on the reforms to the Primary mathematics programme of study that become statutory in 2014.

We are dedicated to guiding our children towards mastery in key mathematical concepts for their age group to ensure progress and avoid gaps in their knowledge and understanding that could create barriers to learning as they progress through the school. Assessment for learning strategies are integral to our practice alongside fluency, variation, investigations and problem solving to promote mathematical thinking. To ensure that we are able to provide a high quality curriculum, the development and constant review of adults' knowledge and understanding is fundamental to our approach towards the subject.

Aims

We aim to provide high quality learning experiences to enable pupils to become numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive, enquiring and confident individuals.

Our pupils should:

• develop a good understanding of number and it's place within the number system
• know by heart "learn at homes" set for their year group, including number-bonds and multiplication tables up to 12x12
• apply their knowledge and understanding to calculate mentally
• calculate accurately and efficiently, both mentally and in writing using algorithms set in our calculation policy
• be able to draw on a range of calculation strategies appropriately
• make sense of number problems, including with "real life" context, identifying correct operations to solve them
• be able to use bar modelling as a strategy to solve problems making particular use of the ‘concrete –> pictorial –> abstract’ approach to understanding abstract concepts
• have the opportunity to apply their knowledge, skills and ideas in real life contexts outside the classroom, and become aware of the uses of mathematics in the wider world
• use accurate mathematical vocabulary to explain their methods and reasoning
• apply their mathematical understanding to judge whether their answers are reasonable and have strategies for checking them where necessary
• suggest suitable units for measuring and make sensible estimates of measurement
• develop spatial awareness and an understanding of the properties of 2d and 3d shapes
• develop their "Learning Powered Minds" under the four key disciplines of: resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness and relationships, which are firmly embedded as part of our ‘6R’s’ values at the school.

At Lakenheath Primary School, Years 1-6 use the White Rose Scheme to structure and support our Mathematics teaching. It is used by many schools across the country and is a mastery approach. It fully complies with the 2014 National Curriculum and enables our teachers to carefully plan for progression within and between their daily lessons. It uses a CPA model – concrete, pictorial, abstract – to introduce children to mathematical skills and concepts using apparatus, images and models to aid and deepen their learning. Each strand of mathematics has stepped learning intentions designed to both support and challenge the children in their maths learning as well as elements of fluency (learning number facts) and variation (tackling problems from lots of different angles.) Alongside the White Rose programme, our teachers embed the use of Assessment for Learning in order to progress check and give feedback to the children about their learning. Each child is aware of what they are learning and how to be successful in their learning through shared learning intentions. We enjoy learning contextualised, real life mathematics.